CN1126695C

CN1126695C - Stackable, self-supporting container with sliding mechanical closure

Info

Publication number: CN1126695C
Application number: CN00806417A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 凯瑟琳·J·兰德尔; 马修·T·赫普; 詹妮弗·K·柯富特
Original assignee: Procter and Gamble Ltd
Current assignee: Procter and Gamble Ltd; Procter and Gamble Co
Priority date: 1999-04-22
Filing date: 2000-04-11
Publication date: 2003-11-05
Anticipated expiration: 2020-04-11
Also published as: CO5241312A1; HK1045135A1; AU759496B2; PE20010160A1; ES2199818T3; CZ20013682A3; US6325239B2; BR0009930A; IL145792A0; AR018716A1; HUP0201316A2; NO20015077L; WO2000064772A1; KR100447377B1; DE60003413D1; ATE243144T1; ZA200108300B; HUP0201316A3; JP2002542995A; TW438705B

Abstract

The present invention provides a container comprising: (a) a semi-enclosed container body including a tubular structure having two open ends and a bottom panel enclosing one end of the container body, the other end of the tubular structure opposite from the bottom panel forming a substantially continuous outwardly-extending peripheral flange; (b) a lid for selectively converting the semi-enclosed container to a closed container; and (c) a closure means for sealing the lid to the container body, the closure means comprising a mechanical interlocking seal and a slideable mechanical closure for sealing the mechanical interlocking seal. The container is preferably stackable and self-supporting, and the mechanical interlocking seal includes at least one interlocking bead and groove pair located on the lid and flange. The container may also be collapsible via folding of the tubular structure.

Description

Stackable self-supporting container with sliding mechanical closure

Technical field

The present invention relates to storage container, specifically relate to those and be applicable to the storage container of preserving and protecting the various article that comprise perishable material.The invention still further relates to and have the storage container that improves sealing property, under the very wide condition of range of use in order to preserve and protection is stored in article in the container.

Background technology

Flexible storage bag is used for preserving and protecting various article, and preserves some perishable cargos such as food, and this is known in the art.This bag normally is made of a rectangle polymerization diaphragm, this polymerization diaphragm is folded on himself, and along two edge sealings, thereby form a semi-enclosed container, formed this semienclosed container has the relative sidewall of two flexibilities, three leak frees or folding edge, and an edge of opening.One closing appliance and this bag integrally form, the seal ribs of an interlocking for example, or closing appliance is set separately, and for example plastic tie or paper-covering-toe-in, thus finish the assembling of container.Adopt a slip cap to make interlocking rib engagement or the common use of slip closing means of throwing off, this is because their operations are quite easy, and can confirm successfully to finish in vision and sense of touch to open and close and operate.

Used here term " flexible " is meant that material can or be bent by deflection, particularly can be by deflection repeatedly or bending, thus make that these materials can crooked and surrender when being subjected to applied external force.Therefore, " flexible " opposite substantially on the meaning with these terms inflexibility, rigidity, non-yielding.Therefore, flexible material and structure can change shape and change structure, so that adapt to applied external force, and can adapt to the shape of the article that contact when contacting with article, and can not lose the globality of this structure.The flexible storage bag of type noted earlier is normally made by polymeric membrane, other member's material of polyethylene or polyene hydrocarbon system for example, and the thickness of polymeric membrane is between about 0.0002 inch to about 0.002 inch.This film usually is transparent, but is opaque and/or colored sometimes.

Obtainable in the market flexible storage bag provides a kind of various article and material has been stored in the method that is generally in the disposable memory storage.Although the flexible storage bag of type noted earlier is in the commercial success that obtains certain degree, but, under such certain situation, promptly, must article or material particularly liquid pour in these flexible pouch, in the time of will making the opening of bag remain on enough the state that opens wide simultaneously, it usually is inconvenient using this bag.Although the flexibility of bag is very advantageously in some aspects, this bag needs manually to get involved or mechanical the intervention opened wide the bag maintenance, so that load.

For rigidity or semi rigid receptacle, they provide a kind of method that is used to store various materials, have been admitted extensively that in this respect these containers have obtained very big success commercial.These containers have an opening usually, and this opening stays open state, so that load, and these containers are normally self-supporting, make opening be in correct towards so that load.These containers also usually are provided with flat bottom and top, in order to pile up.Yet these containers are normally by expensive material, thereby have limited their disposable usability.In addition, usually by an interlocked mechanical closing appliance these containers and lid are sealed, this interlocked mechanical sealing arrangement comprises the fin and the groove of interlocking.Although this mechanical close device can be preserved material that container is adorned effectively,, some customer can run into the difficulty of thoroughly finishing " locked in " operation, and is difficult to self confirm whether to have obtained gratifying sealing.When suitable hour of the physical change of the position of lid between the position of the position of locking mutually and not mutual locking, situation especially like this.

Therefore, be desirable to provide a kind of like this storage container, it combines the characteristic that expects to have of flexible pouch and storage container, and reduces the characteristic that does not expect to have in these two kinds of measures.

More particularly, be desirable to provide a kind of storage container that has improved sealing property in use.

It would also be desirable to provide a kind of like this container, it can to the customer provide vision and/confirmation of sense of touch, confirm this container to be finished gratifying sealing.

Summary of the invention

The invention provides a kind of container, it comprises: (a) semi-enclosed container body, comprise that one has the hollow structure of two open ends and a base plate, this base plate closes an end of container body, and the other end relative with base plate of hollow structure forms a roughly continuous outward extending perimeter flange; (b) lid is used for optionally making the semi-closure container to become the osed top container; (c) closing appliance is used for said lid is sealed to container body, and this closing appliance comprises slidably mechanical close element of a mechanical interlocked packing element and, and this mechanical close element is used for mechanical interlocked packing element is sealed.

This container is preferably stackable and self-supporting, and said mechanical interlocked packing element comprises the fin and the groove of at least one interlocking pairing, and the interlocking fin of this pairing and groove are arranged on lid and the bead.By hollow structure is folded, make this container to flatten.

Description of drawings

Although from specification sheets, draw claim; invention required for protection is pointed out and clearly defined to these claims particularly; but; description below the phase believer in a certain religion also will be better appreciated by the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings; in the accompanying drawings; identical Reference numeral is represented components identical, in these accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is the schematic perspective view that storage container according to the present invention is in closed state;

Fig. 2 is that the storage container among Fig. 1 is in open mode, and the block diagram of solid article partly is housed in the container;

Fig. 3 be with Fig. 1 in container class like the plan view of storage container;

Fig. 4 is the schematic perspective view that is applicable to representational slider element of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is the planar view of the slider among Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is the section-drawing of 6-6 along the line among Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is that the storage container among Fig. 1 is horizontal the schematic perspective view when preparing to fold;

Fig. 8 is that the storage container among Fig. 1 is in partially folded and schematic perspective view collapsed state;

Fig. 9 is the schematic perspective view that the storage container among Fig. 1 is in folding fully and collapsed state.

The specific embodiment

Fig. 1 represents a storage container 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, storage container 10 comprises a container body 20 and a lid 40, and wherein, container body 20 preferably forms with a sheet material is whole, lid 40 preferably and container body 20 make an integral body, or be hinged on the container body at hinge lines 45 places at least.Storage container 10 also comprises closing appliance 30, and this closing appliance 30 is arranged near the edge 28, be used for to cover 40 and the peripheral part of container body 20 seal, to form the container or the storage of a complete closed as shown in Figure 1.Closing appliance 30 comprises and covers 40 marginal portion, the limit portion bead part 25 of container body 20.Closing appliance 30 is optionally opened, is sealed and sealing again, and this will be described later.Hinge lines 45 shown in Fig. 2 preferably includes holistic loose-leaf, also can be arranged to weak line by cut, perforation or similar means, and the line of this weakness optionally allows lid to separate with container body.

In preferred embodiment shown in Figure 1, closing appliance 30 be set at except the hinge portion at hinge lines 45 places on edge 28 all parts.Yet, in some cases, can provide enough sealing globalities by the bigger closing appliance that forms 30 of encirclement degree (for example, at the closing appliance that does not have to surround fully under the situation of hinged money opening).Bead 25 can be made an integral body with container body 20, also can make an independent material elements that is connected with container body.When this bead 25 is made an independent preferably harder material elements, at present preferred scheme is that the upper limb (formation opening) container body is made a little perimeter flange that has the pleat angle, to form a point of connection that is fit to, be used for container body is linked to each other with bead.

As shown in Figure 1, this closing appliance 30 comprises a mechanical interlocked sealing member, this mechanical interlocked sealing member have on the bonding part of bead of being arranged in pairs in 25 and lid 40, fin 32 at least one joint or interlocking and groove 34.In a preferred embodiment, fin 32 forms an integral body with bead 25, and project upwards (promptly from this bead 25 round three free edge of bead, needn't center on the container back setting of hinge back), and groove 34 has a shape that cooperates, the bottom of groove 34 is opened wide, thereby can receive fin 32 in this groove.Closing appliance 30 also comprises a sliding mechanical element or slider 36, and this slider can engage with fin and groove with clamping, thereby can keep being connected with container, if one or more element deforms, so just can shed this slider.The size of slider 36 and shape are made and are made when fin and groove are bonded with each other fully, and slider can slip automatically on fin and groove, thereby forms enough sealings.Therefore, the function of slider 36 is after container is opened, and when spurring slider along container perimeter from a side to opposite side, fin and groove is sealed mutually.

Fig. 4 be according to a preferred embodiment of the invention a sliding mechanical element or the schematic perspective view of slider 36.As shown in Figure 4, in Fig. 5, expressed slider 36 more significantly and had roughly c-shaped structure, thereby made the end of slider on the periphery of bead 25 and lid 40, can extend internally, and be stacked relation with fin 32 and groove 34.The part slider 36 that is stacked relation with fin and groove has one at interval, and this is enough little at interval so that when slider on the fin of periphery and groove separate areas when pulled, can force fin and groove to become the interlocking joint.

The distance of the peripheral constant of preferably spaced apart inside distance lid of fin and groove and bead, thereby make that having enough sliders of length inwardly is pulled along container perimeter, and can not reserve the gap, can not make double-type fin and groove stay unencapsulated part yet.In addition, although closing means of the present invention can be used to have circle, the container of avette, oval or other curve section, but, closing means of the present invention also can be used to have the container of polygon section, shown in Fig. 1～3, for example rectangle and tetragonal container as long as fillet suitably is cut at the angle of bead and lid and double-type fin and groove, makes radius of rounding surpass the required minimum value of slider change of direction and get final product.

In addition, although the present invention has been described and has illustrated the container with double-type single fin and groove, but also can adopt other structure, in other structure that is adopted, or one or more sliders can with the fin and the fillister joint of one or more pairings, or fin and groove form continuous sealing abreast, or their headtotails, or they occupy the disjunct zone that separates on the container.

Storage container 10 is suitable for preserving and protecting being placed on various materials in the container body and/or material.Fig. 2 has expressed storage container 10 and has been in the state of opening, and wherein closing appliance 30 has been released out, thereby makes edge 28 open, and material and/or material is put into the body interior of storage container 10 with permission.In Fig. 2, expressed and in storage container 10, be placed with many general solid matters 99.

Lid 40 integral structures preferably, it comprises an inter panel 42 and a cover frame 44, if necessary, any one in inter panel 42 and the cover frame 44 all can be made by different elements.Owing to can make this container by many composition elements, thereby also just allow to adopt various materials, for example make cover plate with transparent polymeric plate, or adopt harder elastomeric material to do these beads and cover frame, this has nothing to do with the used material of container body 20.Represent the most clearly in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, inter panel 42 preferably extends downwards, and to form a disk shaped cap, this disk shaped cap forms a kind of plug type sealing, thereby improved sealing property by in the corresponding recess or frame that are engaged in container body top.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, storage container 10 comprises: two end plates 50 that roughly are the plane, two blocks of side plates that corner plate is housed 60 that roughly are the plane, a base plate 70 that roughly is the plane, these plates constitute half closed container, and this semi-enclosed container has an opening that is formed by upper flange 25.End plate 50 has side 55 and base 54, and side plate 60 has the bottom margin 64 and the corner plate of conventional confguration roughly, and this side plate 60 has base portion folding line 62 and middle part folding line 61, and has side direction folding line 63.These folding lines preferably are made in the material, make these folding lines become weak line, and these folding lines are to form by the zone that is molded as an attenuation in material or by cut or by other method.In structure shown in Figure 1, storage container is in the open mode of self-supporting.Bead 25 preferably has enough elasticity and rigidity, so that help to keep the open end of the container in the open mode shown in Figure 1.

Have many advantages although compare with storage container with the flexible storage bag that can obtain usually according to the described storage container of Fig. 1, but, this storage container also has other feature, these features can make container form one from support structure, so that help near product or product filled, need not to support, thereby use more convenient with artificial.

Used here term " self-supporting " be meant material, structure or container can in being parallel to the plane of gravity direction, keep they towards.For example, a kind of self-supporting material, particularly a sheet material can be kept to such an extent that make it be parallel to gravity direction to extend upward, and keep it towards, and bending can not take place or flatten.Bending can take place or flatten in non-self-supporting material usually, is parallel to (i.e. " vertical direction ") on the gravity direction thereby can not maintain, unless they are fixed and extend downwards from their strong point.Therefore, a self-supporting bag or container can keep it towards, make the surface on the direction opposite with gravity the support base from them extend upward, can not make these surfaces be folded into the surface from one's body, can not be crushed yet.

Except having self-supporting, the storage container 10 that corner plate is housed preferably also can be easy to folding or flattening, thereby is easy to store, and it is little to take up room.Fig. 7 has expressed a storage container 10 that corner plate is housed shown in Figure 1 and has been in the state of being sidelong and prepares to fold.Fig. 8 has expressed the storage container that corner plate is housed 10 among Fig. 1 and has been in by partially folded or collapsed state.Therefore, middle part folding line 61 inwardly promotes in opposite directions, make bottom margin 64 towards and be roughly parallel to bead 25.Fig. 9 has expressed the storage container 10 that corner plate is housed and has been in more folding state, and wherein, foldingly proceed up to the bottom 70 and be basically parallel to and near bead 25, and till making end plate inwardly folding fully mutually.If necessary, central fold 61 can also be folded-out, and this just provides additional technical characterictic, just can help container upright when middle folding line 61 is inwardly pushed away.Also expressed selectable brace panel 72 in Fig. 7, this brace panel 72 makes the flat base plate 70 of essentially rectangular increase globality and stability.Exert an adverse impact for fear of foldability to container body, strengthen base plate 72 and preferably include some folding lines that roughly align with side folding line 63, so that shown in Fig. 7～9, fold like that, perhaps make these folding lines of strengthening base plate 72 between folding line 63, as shown in the figure.

On base plate, increase other reinforcing element, so just reduced the center of gravity of empty receptacle, thereby before loading or can be more stable during loading.Increased the rigidity of container bottom, make fill or empty most of situation under stability is increased, also reduced the possibility that container bottom bends when container is filled than heavy substance.The material of brace panel can be identical with the material of container body, also can be the material of slightly different durability, and this brace panel sticks with glue agent or other suitable mode is fixed on the base plate.At present preferably, when adopting a brace panel, brace panel is placed on the outside face of base plate, rather than be placed on inside face, this is in order to provide support and booster action, and may snap portion branch dress material and cause the place of removing difficulty not increase other surface, contact and crack at internal tank.

The used flexible sheet material of container body has enough flexibilities and surrender property, so that adapt to the folding of container body between the closing structure of the Unclosing structure of Fig. 1 and Fig. 9 and flatten.More specifically, when base plate 70 is shifted to when covering 40, along with end plate 50 towards inwardly rotating mutually, the flexibility of side plate 60 enough makes side plate 60 fold on himself or is pleating.

The various composites that are suitable for making storage container of the present invention comprise impervious substantially material, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) for example, polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), aluminium foil, have coating (waxing etc.) and or not with the paper of coating, have the non-woven of coating etc., and penetration material, for example scrims basically, Web materials, fabric, non-woven fabric, or membrana perforata or porous membrane, what be mainly two-dimensional nature still makes all right of three-dimensional structure.These materials can comprise a kind of mono-composite or simple layer, also can be the unitized constructions by multiple material, comprise the base material that is used as material carrier.Be suitable for material of the present invention and comprise that the manufacturing mark that can buy from Chevron is the low-density polyethylene film of PE1122, the thickness of this film is 10 mils (mil).

According to the present invention, can be before being assembled into container or as the material of closing appliance in assembly process or formation integrally after assembling with material elements, and as the part of storage container main body.Perhaps, also can be before container assembling, after the assembly process, assembling, this closing appliance is separately made and is connected on the main body of storage container.The material that is used for closing appliance can be identical with the material that is used for container body on size and constituent, also can be different.Closing appliance also can be in conjunction with other feature, for example adopt texture, when utilizing slider with box lunch, can provide one can audible or palpable signal, perhaps adopt different colors on fin and groove, (be similar to be used on the flexible pouch can the commercial closing appliance that obtains) can produce the outward appearance of different colours during with convenient engaging rib and groove.

According to the present invention, closing appliance 30 provides a kind of easy-to-operate closing appliance for the user, so that the opening of storage container is closed and sealed.This closing appliance 30 easy operatings, because needed unique skill is to firmly grasp or clutch this slider with pair of finger, and the lid the scope that is opened on mobile slider, with firm engagement fin and groove, thereby make half closed container be transformed into a complete closed formula container.In order to open the storage container among Fig. 1, user's a pair of relative tab 35 of can holding with a firm grip, and spur these tabs in opposite direction makes half relative bead 31 separately and extend and open, thereby makes closing appliance 30 separately.Conflict for fear of producing between the operation of tab and slider, preferably, reserves the projection that some separate by the part of removal bead and cover material, these projections give prominence to the outward flange that is not distal to bead, thereby form these tabs by bead and cover material.As shown in the figure, confirm that the sine curve edge that the edge of bead is made sinusoidal and phase displacement is made at the edge of lid is gratifying.

Form the container body except sheet material is folded and seals, container body can also be made with suitable mode with known, for example, adopts this some modes that can the commercial container that obtains that are used to make well known in the art.Can adopt heat-sealing or adhesion agent packing technique own or link to each other with other parts each parts of container or element and they.In addition, container body can be by thermoforming, blowing, or carries out moldedly with an initial blank or sheet material, rather than relies on thin plate or sheet material fold with bending techniques and makes container body.

Although described and illustrated specific embodiments of the invention,, those of ordinary skills know, can make various variations and modification to the present invention under the situation that does not break away from the spirit and scope of the invention.Therefore, claims of the present invention have comprised all within the scope of the present invention these variations and modification.

Claims

1, a kind of container (10) is characterized in that it comprises:

(a) semi-enclosed container body (20), comprise that one has the hollow structure of an open end and a base plate (70), this base plate seals an end relative with said open end of said container body, the other end of the said hollow structure relative with said base plate forms a continuous substantially outward extending perimeter flange (25), and this perimeter flange limits a plane;

(b) lid (40) is used for optionally said semi-enclosed container being transformed into an osed top container; With

(c) closing appliance (30), be used for said lid is sealed to said container body, said closing appliance comprises a mechanical interlocked packing element, with said mechanical interlocked packing element is carried out slidably mechanical close element (36) of leak free one, wherein, said closing appliance comprises right interlocking fin (32) and the groove (34) of an assembly that is arranged on said lid and the said bead, and one be used to make the interlocking fin of said pairing and the slidably mechanical element of engagement, and the interlocking fin of said pairing has at least two vertical linear portions with groove in the plane that said bead limited.

2, container according to claim 1, one of them has tab (35) in wherein said lid (40) and the said bead (25), the outwards outstanding outward flange that is not distal to said bead of said tab.

3, container according to claim 1, wherein said hollow structure comprises two relative sidewalls (60), two relative end walls (50) between said sidewall, said sidewall and said end wall constitute said hollow structure together.

4, container according to claim 3, wherein said sidewall (60), said end wall (50) and said base plate (70) are integrally formed by a continuous sheet material.

5, container according to claim 3, wherein each said sidewall (60) comprises a corner plate, this corner plate extends along the direction that is roughly parallel to said base plate (70), said sidewall can be inwardly with folded-out, said end wall (50) can be inwardly folded toward, thereby said container can be flattened on the direction perpendicular to said lid (40) and said base plate, and when said sidewall and said end wall were in their expansion direction, container carried out self-supporting basically.

6, a kind of container according to claim 1, wherein said lid (40) links to each other with said container (10) by a hinge lines (45), and the interlocking fin (32) and the groove (34) of said pairing stretch out, and exceed said hinge lines.

7, a kind of container according to claim 1, wherein said hollow structure has the section form of essentially rectangular.

8, a kind of container according to claim 1, wherein said container (10) can pile up and self-supporting.